Inland vs marine chart apps
For European rivers and canals, Rivanaut is built inland-first; marine chart apps such as Navionics are built for the sea. This page compares their strengths so you can pick the right tool — or use both for coastal passages and inland cruising.
Quick answer: which app for canal boating in Europe?
Choose Rivanaut if you mainly cruise rivers, canals and lakes — for example with a houseboat, narrowboat or motor cruiser — and want fairway routing based on your boat’s dimensions, locks and bridges in context and inland places such as marinas and moorings.
Choose a marine chart app such as Navionics, Aqua Map or C-MAP if you mainly sail coastal or offshore waters, need hydrographic charts or worldwide harbour coverage.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Rivanaut | Marine chart apps (e.g. Navionics) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Inland waterways: rivers, canals, lakes | Coastal and offshore waters |
| Routing on canals | Follows the mapped waterway network | Varies by app; often designed for open water |
| Routing for your boat’s dimensions | Draft, air draft, beam and length | Varies by app |
| Locks, bridges, inland places | Marinas, locks, fuel and moorings from OpenStreetMap plus community data | Usually strongest on coastal harbours |
| Live water levels | Official gauges in 11 countries where integrated | Varies by app |
| Offline use | Downloadable map regions | Chart packages, depending on the app |
| Anchor watch & logbook | Built in | Varies by app |
| Smartwatch | Apple Watch and Wear OS apps | Varies by app |
| Platforms | iOS 17+, Android 8+ | Varies by app |
Based on Rivanaut’s current feature set and on publicly documented features of marine chart apps as of October 2026. Capabilities of other apps vary by app, region and edition — check with the respective provider.
When Rivanaut is the better fit
- You plan a multi-day trip on European canals or rivers (France, the Netherlands, Germany and more).
- You need routing that respects your boat’s height for bridges and tunnels.
- You want harbour reviews and community information about inland berths.
- You cruise areas with weak mobile signal and want offline inland maps.
- You want water-level gauges in the same app as your route.
Get Rivanaut on the App Store or Google Play, or read the inland navigation planning guide.
When a marine chart app is the better fit
- Coastal or offshore passages with tides and maritime traffic rules.
- You need official hydrographic charts for commercial or regulatory use.
- Worldwide harbour databases are a priority.
Many skippers use a marine app at sea and an inland app like Rivanaut on rivers and canals.
Disclaimer
Navionics, Aqua Map and C-MAP are trademarks of their respective owners. Rivanaut is not affiliated with them. This comparison is published by Rivanaut’s developer for general information. Always verify safety-critical information with official sources — Rivanaut is not an official chart and not a certified navigation system.
Get Rivanaut
For iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android and Wear OS.